Incomplete healing. With a dry socket, excess inflammation can become present within the tooth socket. With this excess inflammation, the tissue within and surrounding the tooth socket can have changes within of the blood flow to the tissues. With these changes, incomplete healing can occur due to surface dying of the tissue. This dying of tissue can leave painful exposed bone.

Dry socket. Was the socket packed with a medicated paste infused gauze strip? Did you return to the surgeon periodically have the strip slowly removed? No one knows your treatment history better than the General Dentist or Specialist Oral Surgeon who treated you. Please return to him/her for reevaluation.